Preview — I, Richard
by Elizabeth George

I, Richard

Hailed by The New York Times as “a master of the British mystery,” award-winning author Elizabeth George is one of our most distinguished writers, cherished by readers on both sides of the Atlantic. Her first collection of short stories is an extraordinary offering that deftly explores the dark side of everyday people—-and the lengths to which they will go to get what theyHailed by The New York Times as “a master of the British mystery,” award-winning author Elizabeth George is one of our most distinguished writers, cherished by readers on both sides of the Atlantic. Her first collection of short stories is an extraordinary offering that deftly explores the dark side of everyday people—-and the lengths to which they will go to get what they want most....

In five tantalizing and original tales, George plumbs the depths of human nature-—and human weakness—-as only she can. From the chilling tale of a marriage built on an appalling set of lies that only death can reveal...to the story of a squabbling set of Anglophiles saved from a killer thanks to Inspector Thomas Lynley...to the final, title story about a penniless schoolteacher whose ambitions turns murderous, I, Richard is filled with page-turning drama, danger, and unmatched suspense.

Ironic, revealing, and undeniably entertaining, this imaginative collection proves once again why Elizabeth George is one of today’s best-loved authors. I, Richard belongs in the library of each and every mystery devotee....more

Elizabeth George has penned some fine mysteries the most notable of which is the Inspector Lynley series. Here in I, Richard she shares five clever short story mysteries. You’ll be looking for the line that divides real from unreal.

Exposure: Captures in a nutshell the very British style of mystery found in the Lynley series and features the namesake detective. Reminds me of The Jewel That Was Ours by Colin Dexter.

The Surprise of His Life: Jealousy and overthinking brings the end of this story wiElizabeth George has penned some fine mysteries the most notable of which is the Inspector Lynley series. Here in I, Richard she shares five clever short story mysteries. You’ll be looking for the line that divides real from unreal.

Exposure: Captures in a nutshell the very British style of mystery found in the Lynley series and features the namesake detective. Reminds me of The Jewel That Was Ours by Colin Dexter.

The Surprise of His Life: Jealousy and overthinking brings the end of this story with Niagara force.

Good Fences Aren’t Always Enough: Remember Mending Wall (“good fences make good neighbors”) by Robert Frost? This is a creepy update.

Remember, I’ll Always Love You: Charlie Lawton’s husband is dead, and she has no idea why. She only knows she must contact his estranged parents and give them the news. Hints of a classic film noir movie.

I, RICHARD, Elizabeth George2002, five longish stories/novellas, mostly suspensers although there is one Lynley story. Read on Kindle; four-stars over-all.

"Exposure"— Lynley visits his irascible auntie's great mansion In The County, at a time when tourists are being entertained. One of them gets murdered in a manner that is blatantly hinted at right from the beginning, which mainly concerns itself with setting the stage of interactions between the members of the tour group. It feels as though LI, RICHARD, Elizabeth George2002, five longish stories/novellas, mostly suspensers although there is one Lynley story. Read on Kindle; four-stars over-all.

"Exposure"— Lynley visits his irascible auntie's great mansion In The County, at a time when tourists are being entertained. One of them gets murdered in a manner that is blatantly hinted at right from the beginning, which mainly concerns itself with setting the stage of interactions between the members of the tour group. It feels as though Lynley is an afterthought, alas. And the ending/solution was meant to be a strong twist, but falls rather flat. Almost-three-stars.

"The Surprise of His Life"— Now this is rather better, an almost PI-sort of story about a wealthy older man with a young-and-beautiful wife who may, or may not, be playing around with his younger brother. It's got lots of extraneous threads that ought to confuse but don't, indeed they help to set the scene (ritzy Southern California beachfront properties and the small poor towns around them). Entirely with his first-person viewpoint, it works well, and this meant-to-be-cute, twisted ending, while very predictable, is rather better done than the one in the first story, although for my liking it was far too fast at the end as was the other one, and it was completely predictable, alas.. Atmosphere, et al, was pretty good, and while I was actually reading it I was entertained, but, upon reflection, didn't like it much afterwards. Three-stars.

"Good Fences Aren't Always Enough"— A very nice neighborhood has a house purchased by a very strange old woman. Interesting take on NIMBY attitudes among upwardly mobile younger couples with families towards an admittedly odd old woman who simply "doesn't fit in" anywhere amongst them. And when she is discovered to have one extremely unusual hobby, well, then the fat's in the fire! What the neighbors do, and how she responds, is beautifully, heart-breakingly depicted, with terrific atmospherics and very good characterizations. And the overall impact of the story is reminiscent of Stephen King. Four-stars.

"Remember, I'll Always Love You"— A rich suburban Californian wife buries her husband, unexpectedly dead at the age of forty-two in an accident. As she cleans up all the details surrounding this (including legal and financial) she discovers that he was not at all the man she thought he was, nor the man he'd told her he was, nor, possibly, even the man he wanted to be. Not a Witness Protection story btw, but a beautifully filled-out plot with lots of nuances and threads that weave around and in-between each other. A very long story but terrific all the way. Entirely - and beautifully - written from the wife's viewpoint as she goes over their past together, especially the recent past, and tries to figure out just *who* she was married to. And the ramifications and/or consequences of their life together are stunningly told, almost perfectly rendered here. I don't much like George's manner of ending stories - she often just throws out "a good line", perhaps a final twist too, and then "boom!" - end, and it feels far too abrupt. She's written a similar sort of ending here as well, but her twist at the end of this story works much better. It's a truly unexpected zinger, yet makes perfect sense within the story and ties everything up very nicely. Four-and-a-half-stars.

"I, Richard"— Duplicitous historian woos a woman with A Legacy concerning Richard III (his specialty). Once she's thoroughly under his thumb (she arranges for her lout of a husband to die) he figures he's got it made - she'll give him the legacy (for nothing is too good for him, right??) and he'll be famous - and rich from the sensational book he's writing about Richard III. To finish it off and make it a spectacular success he only needs a bit of proof - "The Perryman Legacy" and the death of her husband, Bernie Perryman, should get it for him, via her. But not so fast.....

Beautifully written novella, only marred by the actual last line, alas. Again, my taste and Ms. George's don't seem to sync - I'd hoped the ending would have a sly and edgy enough twist to complement the long story. It's a good ending, but it's a bit of a let-down, well, at least for me it was. Excellent story, most of it. Four stars.

Her introductions are full of herself; her rewriting of "Evidence Exposed" actually makes less sense (no mention why murder; maybe it's not the son but her "boyfriend" that turned her so crap?) and "Remember" has a huge incongruence re. the time the photos had been bought.

Now I'm reading the Inspector Lynley books right now and enjoying them, so why didn't I like any of these stories, hmm. There is a Lynley story, but I've already forgotten it. I enjoyed the beginning of the story about Richard III, but it was the history I found interesting, the story itself was completely predictable. As was the OJ inspired story, as was the rat story, which I also hated with a passion. Oh what was the other one, about some sort of chemical warfare secret or something, creepy. Now I'm reading the Inspector Lynley books right now and enjoying them, so why didn't I like any of these stories, hmm. There is a Lynley story, but I've already forgotten it. I enjoyed the beginning of the story about Richard III, but it was the history I found interesting, the story itself was completely predictable. As was the OJ inspired story, as was the rat story, which I also hated with a passion. Oh what was the other one, about some sort of chemical warfare secret or something, creepy. Nope!...more

What a delightful book and what a discovery! I was not familiar with this writer but now she is on my list, definitely. Set in the contemporary world, these stories are truly jewels, treats to savor one at a time. They deal with several different themes and always have a quirk. In "Fences are not enough" an elderly lady is the victim of some nosy and arrogant neighbors - or is she? The protagonist of another story, a jealous husband, gets in the end exactly what he deserves, although at a very hWhat a delightful book and what a discovery! I was not familiar with this writer but now she is on my list, definitely. Set in the contemporary world, these stories are truly jewels, treats to savor one at a time. They deal with several different themes and always have a quirk. In "Fences are not enough" an elderly lady is the victim of some nosy and arrogant neighbors - or is she? The protagonist of another story, a jealous husband, gets in the end exactly what he deserves, although at a very high price. My favorite story was the one that gives the title to the collection, "I, Richard." Greed, murder, ambition - 500 years ago and now - make this story gripping from the start, although the end is really not too hard to fathom. Well, I definitely recommend this book (not to children or young readers, though) and am going to plow through all the other works by Elizabeth George....more

This is a book of 5 short stories, all of which are excellent. What I especially enjoyed was to read Elizabeth George’s comments before the stories. In them she tells how she got the idea for the story and some of the processes she goes through to change an idea into a plot. One was a book of her own which she was never happy about and she found a better subject and ending for the short story version.

I think my favorite was “Remember, I’ll Always Love You.” I was completely fooled throughout theThis is a book of 5 short stories, all of which are excellent. What I especially enjoyed was to read Elizabeth George’s comments before the stories. In them she tells how she got the idea for the story and some of the processes she goes through to change an idea into a plot. One was a book of her own which she was never happy about and she found a better subject and ending for the short story version.

I think my favorite was “Remember, I’ll Always Love You.” I was completely fooled throughout the whole story and the ending left me amazed at Elizabeth George’s imagination. It would have been a great plot for “The Twilight Zone.” At first, the story seems to be going in an almost overused plot…the husband dies, the wife finds evidence of a secret life and is amazed to find out that the man she was so happy with was not the person she thought he was. While that is true, the ending is anything but trite.

“I, Richard,” while a little more predictable, also has the very satisfying ending that most mystery readers enjoy. Justice is done, but it comes in an unpredictable manner and the reader is left even more satisfied. The characters are well developed for a short story and none is very admirable, so the fact that the plot hinges on Richard III makes it even more ironic....more

This book is a collection of five short stories. I enjoyed only one of the five, and it was titled Exposure. If you have never read any books in the Inspector Lynley murder mystery series, this is a good one to begin with because it is an introduction to Thomas Lynley of Scotland Yard and his companion Lady Helen Clyde. If you enjoy this story, you will probably enjoy the series.

The other four stories in I, Richard were not my cup of tea. There were no mysteries to solve, and all four stories hThis book is a collection of five short stories. I enjoyed only one of the five, and it was titled Exposure. If you have never read any books in the Inspector Lynley murder mystery series, this is a good one to begin with because it is an introduction to Thomas Lynley of Scotland Yard and his companion Lady Helen Clyde. If you enjoy this story, you will probably enjoy the series.

The other four stories in I, Richard were not my cup of tea. There were no mysteries to solve, and all four stories had endings that dissatisfied me. I will continue to read the Inspector Lynley series but no other books by Elizabeth George....more

This book contains five interesting short stories. I read all of them and enjoyed three of the five. I won't be like other reviewers and deduct rating points simply because I don't find the plots or writing style fitting into my preferences. However, with this collection I deducted points because I feel the stories didn't stand up to the promise written on the dust jacket of finding "drama, danger, and unmatched suspense" within the pages. And I also don't see it as belonging "in the library of This book contains five interesting short stories. I read all of them and enjoyed three of the five. I won't be like other reviewers and deduct rating points simply because I don't find the plots or writing style fitting into my preferences. However, with this collection I deducted points because I feel the stories didn't stand up to the promise written on the dust jacket of finding "drama, danger, and unmatched suspense" within the pages. And I also don't see it as belonging "in the library of each and every mystery devotee" as not all of the stories fit into that genre....more

A collection of short stories. I couldn't even make it through the second one. Partly due to the narrator - there are many American characters, and he can't do an American accent, so he sounded like a moron in trying. But the stories each have a long-winded, pompous introduction, which made it harder to ignore the pompous writing in the stories themselves.

Short stories are not my favorite genre; if I stopped and pondered each one maybe I would at least be able to remember them later, but that's just not my style. Still, as short stories go, these are good, although my least favorite was the one with Lynley and Helen at his aunt's manor house. The title story is the best of the lot, with the murderer planning to kill his old friend, but with a satisfying ending.

Through the years, I have discovered that some novelists whose books I dislike, also write short stories which I love. Therefore, I was willing to invest the time to read these 5 short and fluffy stories. Alas, Ms. George does not fit into the category of sentence number one, above.

IF, and I strongly emphasize the beginning word, IF you are a fan of Elizabeth George's books, you will probably enjoy these stories. Otherwise, don't waste your time. I was sorely disappointed.

I had heard that Elizabeth George was a good mystery writer, and based on the title I chose I, Richard, thinking that it would have something to do with the saga of Richard III, and was disappointed to find that it was a series of five short stories, only one of which referenced Richard III. But the stories were interesting and had surprise endings, which were intriguing. I'll be reading more of her books in the future.

I am not always a fan of the short story (in general) but this book contained five of them that I thought were actually great. They might not be mysteries in the traditional sense, but they're all stories with a certain air of mystery about them and they delve into human nature and the lengths people will go to get what they want (or what they think they want). For me, this was a relatively short read, but I actually had wished it were a tad bit longer.

The only collection of short stories by the great British mystery writer, Elizabeth George. Five beauties including one with Inspector Thomas Lynley (of whom she has written 20 novels in her award-winning series). Each reaches into the depth of human weakness: how far will one be willing to go to reach his or her ultimate goal? Does the Machiavellian end really justify the means? Unlike most of George's work, this is a quick read, and as always the case, well worth it!

Unusual for George, this is a book of short stories ...generally good longish ... almost the length of a novella. The stories are tight, well written with good endings but not with the irony and surprises of a Munro short story. I particularly enjoyed "The Surprise of His Life", "Remember, I'll Always Love You" (I think the best) and "I, Richard". All readers of George's novels should look for this selection of short stories. They will be heartedly rewarded.

One of the stories in this book I had read already (it was published seperately here in NL during the month of suspense books several years ago).The story I liked best was the one that's called Remember I will always love you. The story Friend's service was weird.This author should really not write more short stories: she elaborates too much to get a story told in a limited amount of pages.

I have had this book for quite some time and only recently decided to read it. To my surprise, it contains five short stories - present day - and all were very interesting. One even has a brief visit by one of my all time favorite characters, Inspector Thomas Lynley. A quick but satisfying read.

I love the Insector Linley Series by Elizabeth George. Although interesting, her short stories are not my favorite....That said, it is not my favorite genre as I really like to sink my teeth into an engaging novel.

I love the Lynley series, but these stories read like they were written by another author- and not a good one. They mostly felt very juvenile. Two stars is generous, and only because I like her novels so much.

Great collection of short story mysteries by Elizabeth George. One Lynley tale in the mix. “Remember, I’ll Always Love You” is that be of those that has you turning the pages as quick as you can. Great way to spend a Sunday afternoon.

Susan Elizabeth George is an American author of mystery novels set in Great Britain. Eleven of her novels, featuring her character Inspector Lynley, have been adapted for television by the BBC as The Inspector Lynley Mysteries.

Susan Elizabeth George is an American author of mystery novels set in Great Britain. Eleven of her novels, featuring her character Inspector Lynley, have been adapted for television by the BBC as The Inspector Lynley Mysteries.

She was born in Warren, Ohio, but moved to the San Francisco Bay Area when she was eighteen months old. She was a student of English, receiving a teaching certificate. While teaching English in the public school system, she completed an advanced degree in psychology.

Her first published novel was A Great Deliverance in 1988, featuring Thomas Lynley, Lord Asherton, a Scotland Yard inspector of noble birth; Barbara Havers, Lynley's assistant, from a very working-class background; Lady Helen Clyde, Lynley's girlfriend and later wife, of noble birth as well; and Lynley's friends Simon and Deborah St. James.

This Elizabeth George is distinct from the other author named Elizabeth George (Christian author).